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Is Warriors’ Draymond Green the all-time great defender? Years of evidence prove he belongs in the discussion


Draymond Green is putting together another strong case for inclusion in this year’s Comprehensive Defensive Lineup.

He is also putting together a strong case to be awarded the tournament’s Best Defensive Player.

In an age of great defensive players like Rudy Gobert, Joel Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Ben Simmons, Green could very well be the best of his generation. And as time went on, Green continued to make the list of the all-time great defensive players this game has ever seen.

While Stephen Curry’s rise to greatness gets most of the credit for the Warriors’ success over the past decade, there’s also a direct correlation between the team’s success and Green’s status as one of the best defenders out there. best in the tournament.

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The basis for Golden State’s championship defense was laid by Mark Jackson during his second season as the team’s head coach. The arrival of Andrew Bogut helped speed up the process but it was Green’s defensive assertiveness that gave the Warriors the lead.

During their 2014-15 championship season, the Warriors became the league’s best defensive unit with a defense of 100.4. according to NBA Stats. With Green in the ring, the team was even tougher, posting a defensive stat of 97.3. That number rose to 103.1 with Green on the bench, which would leave them outside the top 10.

That year, the Warriors had so many capable defenders that many might have overlooked Green’s defensive contributions. Surrounded by the likes of Bogut, Finals MVP Andre Iguodala and Klay Thompson, it’s easy to see why. But it didn’t happen. Green was well rewarded, receiving the first of three consecutive nods by the All-Defense First Team. In 2017, he won his first Defensive Player award.

Years later, the Warriors’ roster looks different than the team that made it to five consecutive NBA Finals, but two things remain the same: Green is still maintaining their defense, and that’s it. once again the best in the league.

As the current lead for Defensive Player of the Year, Green is entering another conversation about all-time greatness.

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Is Draymond Green the all-time great defender?

(Getty)

To answer this question first, you must compare Green with the greats of his time. And with all due respect to Kawhi Leonard, Simmons and Embiid, we’re talking about Gobert here.

Gobert has the résumé of an all-time great defender, and with two more Defensive Player of the Year awards than Green, he has every reason to be the best of this generation.

Comparison of Green and Gobert is commended
DPOY Select All-Defense All-Star Appears
Draymond Green first 6 3
Rudy Gobert 3 5 2

But Gobert has long been stigmatized as a stellar regular-season defensive player who is scheduled for the game in the post-season. You can’t say that about Green.

In fact, Green was so hard to defend, teams looked to keep him out of action. It’s the mark of a great defensive player and one of the greatest discussions of all time.

It’s hard to compare eras, but Green is displaying the type of all-time defensive talent or nightly style of basketball with multi-position defending, card cutting and rebounding, as well. as high level belt protection. And as his athleticism fades, his mind is sharper than ever. Few people can read a play and dissect it in real-time, defensive midfielders and elevate it with their presence like Green can.

That’s why he should be mentioned among the great defensive players the game has ever seen.





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